PNP cripples robbery gang victimizing OFWs

AUTHORITIES yesterday announced that they have neutralized a notorious robbery group preying on returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) following the arrest of its leader and three gang members.

Retiring Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Versoza announced the neutralization of the “Bundol Gang,” a group of criminals whose victims were mostly returning OFWs and tourists.

“I am very pleased to announce another breakthrough in our ongoing campaign against criminal syndicates that prey on motorists and travellers,” Verzosa said in a press briefing in Camp Crame.

He added: “The PNP Highway Patrol Group neutralized yesterday (Sunday) some key members of the Bundol Gang that victimize mostly returning OFW’s and tourists at the vicinity of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA),”

The PNP chief said that the syndicate is believed to responsible for the string of robbery-holdup cases, including the shooting of the brother-in-law of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s daughter Luli Arroyo last June.

PNP HPG Director Leonardo Espina in the same briefing named the four arrested gang leader as Robert Sia, alias “Tata Revo,” and his three henchmen identified as Raul Lumantas, Junreal Abel Gumanay and Cirilo Paja.

“We regard this group as crippled but not completely neutralized… so our operation to neutralize this group is continuing,” Espina said.

Sia and his men were arrested by operatives of the HPG-National Capital Region (NCR) following a car chase last Sunday along the Airport Road in Pasay City.

The three gang members were arrested in Merville, Parañaque City, while Sia was nabbed inside a hospital.

“Robert Sia was arrested in a follow-up operations after our operatives traced his whereabout at the St. Luke Medical Center, where he was brought by his wife for treatment of gunshot wounds,” Espina said.

The three other suspects who also sustained gunshot wounds in the encounter were brought to the PNP General Hospital in Camp Crame for treatment and are now under tigh watch, the HPG director.

“Our people were also able to recover from the suspects three firearms consist of one M16 rifle, two .45 caliber pistols, live ammunition and grenades, we are now preparing the necessary charges against them,” Espina said.

“We have reason to believe that they were also the ones who shot to death a Korean last August (23) Along Ortigas Ave extention in Pasig City. he is the Korean pastor who was killed and robbed of his personal belongings with his companions,” Espina said.

The HPG director siad the modus operandi of the group is that they will bump the car of their prospectibve victim and make it appear an accident, after which the group will help-up their victims and take away the victims’ vehicle. Anthony Vargas